United Arab Emirates: Grant and Administration Officer

Organisation:Hedayah - The International Center of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism

Reports to: Programme Manager

Department: Programme Management

Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Background

This Programme responds to the EU’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy which promotes democracy, dialogue, human rights and good governance. Organised around four pillars: prevention, protection, pursuit, and response, it is within the first pillar; prevention, that the EU has engaged with Hedayah, the International Centre of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) to deliver this Programme.

The overall objective of this four year EU funded Programme is to build the capacity of state and non-state actors to effectively challenge radicalisation and recruitment to violent extremism while continuing to respect human rights and international law.

The specific objective is to work with local partners to design, implement and develop approaches that have a demonstrable impact on the threat posed by radicalisation and recruitment to terrorism. It will do so through the allocation of financial support to local implementing partners and the provision of expert support through targeted training and capacity building.

The main activities of this Programme will be to:

1. Develop and deliver a cascaded training programme for raising awareness of, and building support for, CVE amongst Public Officials and Civil Society Organisations;
2. Support design and implementation of Civil Society initiatives to CVE;
3. Address the challenge of media coverage of terrorism by raising the awareness and building the capacity of state and media actors; and
4. Develop research resources that provide an evidence base for CVE interventions.

General Function

The Grant and Administration Officer will be responsible for monitoring compliance with the initiative budget, financial accounting, verification of financial and other evidence and preparation of financial reports. The Grant and Administration Officer will also be responsible for administrative support including processing of proposals, MoU’s and contracts with partner organisations and follow-up monitoring and evaluation.

The Grant and Administration Officer will report to the Programme Manager.

Key Responsibilities

The Grant and Administration Officer will be responsible for:

• Monitoring and ensuring that activities are implemented in accordance with all aspects of the Description of Action and the terms and conditions of the contract with the Contracting Authority.
• Administering the Programme budget and implementation, including:
• Budget controls;
• Monitoring project expenditures;
• Preparing budget analytic documents and expenditure;
• Preparing budget forecasts and amendments;
• Preparing financial reports; and
• Acting as interface for the Programme’s external audits.
• Administering financial support to target beneficiaries, including;
• Assisting with promotion of this opportunity to potential target beneficiaries;
• Selection and recruitment; and
• Monitoring and support.
• Collecting, consolidating and systematically documenting all necessary information to the required level of detail for the interim and final reports to the Contracting Authority, including but not limited to:
• Financial reporting;
• Reporting on all aspects of the Action for the period covered including qualitative and quantitative information needed to demonstrate fulfilment of the Contract conditions; and
• Audits, checks, monitoring and evaluations of the Action.
• Coordinating communications between the Programme and the Contracting Authority;
• Implementing country level assistance in terms of project planning and evaluation; and
• Handling and overseeing MoU’s and contracts/agreements with partners and third party organisations.

Experience

Project administration experience and a strong track record of working in the government, NGO, or private sector including project, financial, and human resource management, quality control and monitoring and evaluation;

• Excellent knowledge of EuropeAid processes, procedures and project cycle management;
• Experience of financial management to strict audits; and
• Extensive experience of the EU funding process and/or allocation of financial support to third parties.

Qualifications

Educated to degree level; relevant professional qualifications desirable.

Key Skills

• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders including governments, EU institutions, policy makers, community leaders and actors, NGOs, practitioners and experts;
• Independent, able to work independently as well as with a team;
• Flexible, willing to share information and to take up various tasks done in a relatively small office;
• Constructively managing internal and external relationships with diplomacy, cultural sensitivity and discretion;
• Capacity to work in a multi-cultural environment;
• Ability to meet deadlines under pressure;
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, primarily with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and MS Project;
• Fluent in English; and
• Willingness to travel including to medium to high-risk countries.

Package

Competitive salary with attractive benefits

* DISCLAIMER: This position is contingent on the anticipated funding award from the EU in January 2015

Send covering letter and CV to info@hedayah.ae no later than Wednesday 12 November 2014